little moments

Coranelle went in for her 15 mo appointment today and I thought I'd give a little update. I don't have all the paper work in front of me because it is still sitting in Ryan's car, but I'll give a few rough stats. She weighs about 19.5 pounds. I thought she had broken 20, but I guess we were wrong. That puts her back down in the 5th percentile. She is 31 inches (53rd percentile). Her head is the 81st percentile, so I guess she's a smart little cookie.

She now has bald spots on both sides of her head as she seems to be still pulling her hair out. So, we discussed this concern with the pediatrician and didn't learn a whole lot. We just need to keep her hair short (which makes me terribly sad) and distract her from the habit when we can.

Ryan got to come with me to the appointment this time and it was nice to have his perspective and have him hear everything from the doctor and help entertain Coranelle as we talked. Once again, I almost cried as we watched Coranelle receive her shots, but Ryan was much stronger about it. She's currently upstairs, sleeping off the trauma of 3 shots, a hemoglobin test, and her finger nails being clipped. Poor little one.

The pediatrician asked me if Coranelle was getting any easier for us. I didn't really know how to answer. I wouldn't necessarily describe my days with her as easy, but it makes me sad that people see her in that light- as a kid that is so hard that we might not be enjoying parenthood. I know I have done my fair share of worrying about her, and complaining about her, but I have to make myself clear... we LOVE her so much! She is such a gift and though she is not a super chill kid, we totally enjoy her personality.
Here are a few of the things that I get to enjoy on a daily basis with Coranelle:
1. Her big wet kisses on our cheeks with her tongue out
2. Her huge smile in the morning when I come to get her out of the crib
3. The intelligent way she signs "more", "help", "all done", "bath", "bed", "change", "please", and "I love you".
4. When she anxiously chooses a book and crawls into your lap to hear you read it
5. Sometimes, when you're sitting on the floor, playing with her, she'll run into your arms and give you a big hug
6. The way she loves to push her stroller around everywhere and help out
7. I sweep often and Coranelle loves to grab the broom and help me out
8. The way she babbles and chats in her carseat
9. I love it when she is shy in a crowd and holds on to the back of my legs until she feels comfortable
10. The way she can look deep into your eyes and read your soul

She is so smart and affectionate and sweet and we are so thankful for the last 15 months.

whirlwind

I think I'll let this post be mostly pictures, for I fear that if I write out everything that has happened in the past few weeks, I'll write a novel. And, you know what they always say, "A picture is worth a thousand words".

We are home this week, trying to settle back into a routine after having my dad, Kyle and Christina in town for a while and celebrating Stefan and Rachael's wedding. We had one day to recover from the wedding festivities before flying with friends to Green Bay, WI to spend a week in Eagle River with another set of friends.

It was great fun to see my dad and spend some time catching up. Kyle and Coranelle got a long pretty well and it was fun to see them interact. The wedding was beautiful and a ton of fun. My mom and Steve put on the rehearsal dinner at Stefan and Rachael's pool house and it was great to catch up with a lot of friends from HS. The wedding was down at the Botanical Gardens at Chatfield. The weather was perfect, the couple was gorgeous, and it was a lovely ceremony and a fun party afterwards. I enjoyed dancing under the stars and seeing lots of family and friends.
It was exciting to see my brother marrying such a perfect woman and we were honored to be a part of their special day.

Our trip to WI was a blast. It was awesome to travel and vacation with friends that have one year olds. We stayed at a wonderful house, just a few hundred yards off the lake. Amy and Vann have lots of family in Eagle River that we got to meet and spend time with. Between both families, they had pontoon boats, speed boats, kayaks, canoes, tubes, water skiis and every other fun water toy you could imagine. On the days with good weather, we spend most of the time on the boat. I learned to ski on one ski, which was really exciting for me! On the days with rain, we enjoyed going into town, reading, and just catching up with friends and playing with our girls. It was truly a wonderful week and we hope to return sometime in the future. I am SO thankful for such great friends and the opportunity to vacation with them!

That's all for now, and as promised, here are the pictures;

All the bridesmaids and the happy couple.The groomsmen
The first time Stefan and Rachael saw each other.

Daddy and daughter on the big day.
Enjoying the gorgeous evening with my baby!
The whole family!



Having some dinner at the rehearsal.
Jenny and me kayaking in Eagle River.

Adelaide and Charlie on the boat.
Playing on the playset in the rain.
Amy. Vann and Charlie headed on to the pirate ship.
Checking out the pirate ship on our date night

Ken and Ryan in the canoe.
Charlie and Coranelle in their twin suits.
Jenny smiling big on the tube.
Coranelle and Ryan on the pirate ship.
Coranelle loving her watermelon.
Playing with all the toys and kiddos.
Up on one ski!
swim time!
cute naked butt!
hanging out in the hammock.
Had to add this one of Coranelle eating Grams's ice cream when we were celebrating PopPop's birthday.

affirmation

A fort at Grams and PopPop's house
Venturing into the fountains on her own.
Enjoying a carrot from my garden
After the hair cut.
The balding spot before the hair cut.


So, I guess I have neglected my blog for a while. Things have been busy!

Here is a quick update on the hair situation. After talking with my dad about the terrifying possibility of having to put Coranelle through the trauma of stomach surgery to remove hair that wouldn't pass, we promptly cut off all her locks. It was quite sad for me, but Coranelle doesn't seem to miss it one bit. For a few days, she would pretend to pull her hair and eat it, but couldn't grasp any hair to pull out. For the most part, she seems to have broken the habit. I put her on a vitamin supplement, in case the hair eating was related to a deficiency of some sort. I think that we have passed through the storm for the time being.

In other news, we are headed into a very busy few weeks! My brother is getting married very soon and we are so excited for their special day. Stefan and Rachael are truly wonderful for each other and I have never seen Stefan happier than in these past few years that he has been with Rachael. It will be great fun to see them "tie the knot". Ryan and I are both in the wedding and we are honored and very much looking forward to it and to seeing lots of family and friends. We are just hoping we can keep Coranelle awake and happy so that everyone can enjoy the festivities! My dad, step-mom and little brother are coming out later this week and it is the first time I have seen them since June of 2009! Coranelle was 2 weeks old! I am really looking forward to catching up with them and taking Kyle (little brother) and Coranelle out to do some fun things while they're here. My dad has less than one month left of cancer treatment and couldn't be more ready to be feeling better and have a little more energy!

We also have a vacation coming up and I am counting down the days. We are headed to Wisconsin with some great friends with girls Coranelle's age. One couple is from Wisconsin, so we are staying there with them and looking forward to hanging out by the lake and relaxing on the boat while enjoying great friends and company.

On top of all of that, I am currently working to get my Linguistically Diverse endorsement, more commonly known as my ESL certification so that I can continue to work with immigrants and English language learners when I head back to teaching. I might have a few more classes to take, but have been working on applications and studying for a test I will have to pass this fall with tons of information on it. There seem to be lots of jobs around here for ESL teachers and when I go back, that's what I'd love to do. So, I am trying to study all the ESL resources I can get my hands on to prepare for the test.

Now, for the "affirmation" part of the post. To give some background, I've been feeling a bit as if people, both strangers and not, have been judging me or looking down on me for staying home with Coranelle instead of going back to work. I had a dream the other night that a family member told me I was just wasting space because I wasn't bringing home a paycheck. I feel as if, when I get into a conversation with old friends, working moms, and random strangers that after people ask me what I do, and I answer, they feel as if they have nothing more to say to me. It's almost as if, when you are not a "working" member of society, you're not worth people' s time. I feel like this mindset in much different now than when my mom stayed at home with us as kids. As a mass generalization, it seems that women are placing more priority on careers than on families. Sometimes when people ask me what I do, they tend to assume that I must just sit around and watch TV all day. A working mom asked me earlier this year if I was enjoying my one year vacation. Ummmm... changing diapers, soothing a screaming child, endless lists of chores and planning doesn't quite strike me as a vacation. Anyhow, I've been feeling this way for a while. Even my closest mom friends work, at least part time. Do I need to go back to teaching? Is it worthwhile for me to stay at home? I even started looking at job openings (which there aren't), but I looked anyhow.

And then Saturday at church, our pastor was talking about priorities and how quickly time can escape us. On a side note, he mentioned how important he thought it was (if financially possible), for a mom to take a few years off and spend them with her young kids. He spoke about how quickly kids grow up and how easy it is to miss out on it. He also mentioned that no one can replace the role of a mom. Now, this was just a quick thought of his, but it really spoke to me. It was what I needed to hear. And it came from someone I give authority to in my life. I was actually surprised that he went on that tangent and felt so strongly about it, but I was glad. I needed to hear that what I am doing is important and valued. I won't lie and say that it is hard but at the end of the day, it is always worth it. Because, honestly, at the end of every day, I cannot tell you with confidence that the sacrifices that we make so I can stay home seem utterly and totally worth it. Some days, but not every day. Not on days when I pick up my child from the rec center child care, and they tell me she was super fussy. And then look over at my friend's baby and tell me that the other baby was a perfect angel. Not on days when she is ripping her hair out and eating it.

Let me make myself clear... I am NOT writing this post to say that the way we chose to do it is the perfect way. It's not. If families need dual income, want dual income and can make it work for the mom to work, that's awesome. I am not saying one way is better than another. If some moms just want to go back to work, wonderful. There are certainly days that I would like to as well. Absolutely NO judgment here. But for me, it was the little bit of affirmation that I needed. I got asked at a BBQ the next day, if I was going back to teaching. I also got two job offers for the coming year. I could confidently say that I was going to stay home with Coranelle until it got closer for her to go to school and then I would go back. I could proudly say that the time I had with her was short and precious and I was going to soak it in while I could, before I blinked my eyes and she was walking through the doors to Kindergarten. It was just a little piece of encouragement I needed to hear so that I didn't feel like wasted space or a worthless person who wasn't contributing to society or worthy of someone's time in a conversation.

So, for any other stay at home moms out there who have ever felt the same, for my own mom who stayed home with us- what you do is invaluable. Thank you. I know you don't get paid, I know you don't often get a whole lot of respect or affirmation, but thank you. And to all you moms who are working and being moms- thank you! The juggling you do to provide for you family and care for them is extremely honorable and incredible. Way to go!

Battles

She looks quite innocent here, I know. But, she was really quite devious yesterday and I have to take a moment to vent. Do other moms out there feel like they are fighting a battle ALL DAY LONG? I have felt like that quite often lately. I am not sure if it is because Coranelle is teething like crazy, or if it's because she knows so clearly what she wants- but she can't articulate it.

Yesterday- Battle 1- changing her diaper. Why is this such a hassle? Why won't she listen when I say "Don't touch".
Battle 2- getting her dressed. She's crying, twisting, rolling and thrashing around. Geez!
Battle 3- putting her hair in pigtails to keep her from ripping her hair out. She was throwing her head around and screaming. I would like to prevent her little bald spot from getting any bigger before her Uncle Stefan gets married in August.
Battle 4- Breakfast- she sees something she thinks she wants, so she won't eat her oatmeal. Instead, she spits it out all over herself and me. When I peel the banana and offer it to her (since she's been saying "naNana" over and over)- she rejects it.
Battle 5- Sunscreen. Such a painful task
Battle 6- Short walk in the stroller- She's yelling and crying the whole time. I give her juice, snacks, toys, etc. and she's still throwing a fit. So, we stop at the Rec Center so she can play at the indoor play place. I figure she is ready to get out and run around.
Battle 7- the indoor play place. Now that she's out of the stroller, I'm apparently not allowed to put her down. She just cries and wants to be held. What?
Battle 8- Diaper change all over again.
Battle 9- Nap time. She's clearly tired, but spends at least a half hour kicking, thrashing and whining in her crib.
Battle 10- lunch time. No kidding- the only thing I could get her to eat was cottage cheese.
Battle 11- getting the swim suit on for a play date, then getting into the car seat
Battle 12- trying to prevent her from drinking the pool water or walking into the pool
Battle 13- changing into clothes and diaper
Battle 14- finding that she had pulled out both rubber bands and eaten them. Given, these are like tiny braces rubber bands, but still. At this point her hair is sticking up in two long points- almost like horns and she's in all red. Yup, she looks like a devil child as we walk up and down the aisles of Sprouts.
Battle 15- She sees the box of strawberries in the cart and really wants some. But, they're not washed or paid for so I refuse and she melts down.
Battle 16- another nap
Battle 17- leaving for Body Pump
and it goes on. I think you get it.

Anyone else have days like this. It's like nothing we do is fun to her. I have to stop and wonder on days like these if it makes any difference that I am home with her. So, I looked into some preschools around the area. Did you know that some preschools charge $1,534 a month per child! Whoa! I guess I'll just keep pushing on at being my own preschool and trying to keep my little one entertained and as happy as possible.

For those of you reading that are pregnant or have young infants, I am not writing to scare you. Keep in mind, Coranelle is one of a kind!

Speaking of the peanut, I'm going to go start all over again with Battle #1 and pray that today goes a little more smoothly!

Mork Family Camping

Trail mix while hiking.
serving up ice cream in honor of my birthday day! The best ice cream ever!
Mother/son shot!
Bruce and Claire making ice cream
Coranelle spending one of her many many moments with her uncle Josh.
Weeeee!



This past weekend, we had our annual Mork family camping trip up in Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a little different than camping with Coranelle when she was 8 weeks old, but we had a great time. She toddled all over the campsite and park, always wanting to hold someone's hand and lead them around. We enjoyed good food over the campfire, ice cream with the ice cream ball, relaxing in the hammock, walks with beautiful views and chatting around the fire.

Coranelle loved being outdoors, but didn't love sleeping outdoors. She fought her naps, but gave up if I would lie next to her pack n' play and pretend to sleep. Both nights, she woke up in the middle of the night crying and had a hard time going back to sleep (as did we). One night we had creepy howling coyotes that Coranelle got started with her cries. But, after a bit of cuddling and humming, she went back to sleep. All things considered (cold nights, strange place, odd noises) she did great. She LOVED the tent and running around in it.

Now is my call for advice... or someone who can relate. Coranelle has started pulling out her hair. Odd, I know. Sometimes it's single strands, other times it is entire chunks. It seems to be self soothing and something she does when she is tired. Since Thursday, two upper molars have come through and it may be a pain coping method. The pediatrician says that we need to distract her and teach her not to pull out her hair. The things to worry about are her eating her hair or it wrapping around fingers like a tourniquet. The strange thing is that sometimes we do find her chewing on her hair. Any other moms out there ever seen anything like this with their kiddo? Any other advice for me?

I hope you are all enjoying your busy summers.

Amazing family Vacation!

Walking around at the top of the gondola
Bringing dad his water bottle
Playing downtown. I love this picture!
Heading up the gondola again.

taking a break in Frisco on our mountain bike ride
eating ice cream in our "fort" during the rain
playing in the fort
walking around peak 8 in the rain
Taking the gondola up
Hiking from Mom and Steve's campground
Self taken shot on our date night
hanging out by the river watching the kids play in the water
Playing in the sand
The top of our hill climb on our mountain bike ride


Family Vacation Fun

We just returned from a truly marvelous trip to Breckenridge, Co. I wasn’t ready to return home. I kind of felt like a puppy on a leash who didn’t want to leave her adventure, but was tugged and forced away by the owner.

We rented a beautiful condo just a few blocks from Main Street. It was the nicest lodging we have ever had ( even honeymoon!). It was very modern, with great views, 2 bedrooms, lots of DVDs, games, a well stocked kitchen and 3 bathrooms! It was a great price because the expensive time is ski season. Coranelle did fabulously the entire trip. She was perfect in the car, didn’t fight the stroller much, went for walks in the pack and borrowed ergo carrier, splashed in the pool, and enjoyed babysitters and adventures.

My parents and sister, Amanda, came up Fri-Sun and camped nearby in Frisco. They came up to Breckenridge to hang out and have dinners with us. They watched Coranelle so that Ryan and I could go mountain biking and out on a date. The mountain biking was great fun and gorgeous. Later that day, we got to head out to the Brewery and sit out on the deck with amazing views of the slopes and mountains. It was a romantic time to wander town together, share a cookie and watch the sunset. Meanwhile, Coranelle had a blast with her GPS, Grandmadele and Auntie Amanda. It has been really fun to see Amanda and Coranelle bond now that Amanda is home from Haiti. Coranelle has been walking all over the place and loves to take your hand and lead you around. She really enjoyed the river walk and watching all the other kids and dogs around town.

Despite having more than enough to do, we took full advantage of Coranelle’s naps. We enjoyed time to read, watch movies, relax, or take turns wandering into town, finding a cup of coffee, checking out the farmer’s market, or getting a nice haircut(that was me☺).

Sunday, and then again on Monday (because it was free) we took Coranelle up the gondola to Peak 8 and watched her walk all over the ski lodge and check out the fun park. It was cold and rainy the first day, but she could not have been happier. When the rain continued and we were stuck inside for the evening, Ryan made a fort out of the couches and she had a ball. She was such a blast on the trip. Monday, she shocked and amazed us with her perfect behavior in the bike trailer. We rode all the way from Breckenridge to Frisco and back! It was almost 20 miles and she never complained, or even fell asleep. She just checked out the view and enjoyed her pacifier and little plush frog. We stopped for a snack in Frisco and headed back up to Breck. I was pretty exhausted when all was said and done, as I was pulling her as well as all of our water, toys and snacks and it gets heavy cycling up hill for that long. It was totally worth it as the day was perfect and the views were amazing!

We loved not ever having to move the car. We could walk into town and get a pizza to take home, head over to the city market, grab a cup of coffee or sit by the river and we never had to put Coranelle in the car seat. I miss that now that we are home!

Coranelle is getting to be more and more fun and it was a family vacation that I will remember and treasure forever! I would love to come here every summer and make this a tradition!